1999 Domaine Francois Raveneau Chablis Monts Mains

Located in Chablis, in northern Burgundy, Domaine Francois Raveneau is owned and operated by the brothers Jean-Marie and Bernard Raveneau. At 23 acres the estate is small even by local standards, though Clive Coates, for one, considers it “Chablis’ best domaine.” Harvesting is done entirely by hand and the brothers use no new oak. Raveneau’s corks are sealed with wax, which is also unusual for the region. The Premier Cru and Grand Cru Chablis produced by Raveneau are noted for their depth and dimension, and Robert M. Parker Jr. has complimented them for their great capacity to age and mature.The domaine was started in 1948 when Francois Raveneau bought vineyards to add to those already owned by his wife, who was part of the Dauvissat family. Francois began bottling his wine, an unusual practice during the 1950s and 1960s, and by the 1980s the domaine’s wines were being imported to the U.S. by California importer Kermit Lynch. Francois’ son Jean-Marie started working on the estate in 1978. Raveneau owns Grand Cru parcels in Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos and Valmur. Coates notes that “What is impressive about the Raveneau Chablis is that (the wines) are invariably very expressive of both their terroirs and their vintages.”

Chablis is the northernmost region of Burgundy, located just 110 miles southeast of Paris. It is also one of the region’s most historic, and by some measures most under-rated, appellations. In the 19th century Chablis included 100,000 acres of vineyards and supplied Paris with much of its red and white wine. Today Chablis has just 7,000 acres of AOC vineyards, having lost many to the 19th century phylloxera scourge. Chablis is admired by white wine cognoscenti, however, for its Chardonnays, which are notably different from the Chardonnays produced further south. Chardonnay is the only grape grown for the Chablis appellation – there are no red wines. Chablis has seven Grand Cru vineyards and twenty-two Premier Crus. Given its northern location, harvests are not dependable in Chablis. But in good years the wines are generally described as “flinty,” meaning more acidic, steely, austere and mineral tasting than the fuller, fruitier Chardonnays of the Côte d’ Or. In the 20th century, Chablis’ wider recognition as a venerable wine-producing region suffered from the fact that bulk wine producers in California and Australia made unappealing white jug wine blends of various white grapes, rarely including Chardonnay, which they marketed as “Chablis.”

This white variety originated in Burgundy, but is now grown around the world. Its flexibility to thrive in many regions translates to wide flavor profile in the market. Chardonnay is commonly used in making Champagne and sparkling wines.